The Stranger
by MM995
Summary: Astrid lands herself in a heap of trouble when a storm takes her and Stormfly far off course and to the ruins of Shiganshina District, a land filled with man-eating creatures known as Titans. After seeing the plight of the humans there, will she help them and put herself in mortal danger, or will she take the safe route and head back home?
1. Chapter 1

The howling wind blew her hair back and away from her eyes as Astrid and Stormfly rode through the raging storm with practiced skill, the only bright side she could find in this mess. The run-in with the force of nature was unintentional, of course. She had been heading towards an allied tribe on a diplomatic mission, but the gods had apparently decided to entertain themselves by dropping this bomb of a tempest on her.

Though Stormfly had little issues flying through storms, hence the name bestowed upon the Deadly Nadder, this one was what people called a doozie. The shieldmaiden was certain they had been blown way off course by now, as they hadn't flown over any of the islands she _knew_ were supposed to be there.

She hoped that the Lava-Louts wouldn't be pissed by the delay in her arrival. After all, it wouldn't do for the heir of the Hooligan tribe, and the tribe itself by extension , to lose face by arriving late to an organized meeting.

Astrid nearly sighed at the thought; Astrid Hofferson, heir of the Hooligan tribe. The memory of the day three years ago, clear as unpolluted water, entered her mind uninvited, and all the emotions that came along with it. The day Hiccup Haddock the III willingly passed on the title to her before leaving Berk... for the second time.

At least it had been much less painful than the day the boy she loved, or man as he was now, had first left his birth-tribe.

The twenty-four year old woman shook her head and refocused on getting out of the storm as quickly and safely as possible. For that reason she had pushed her dragon to fly considerably faster than usual, but Stormfly could take it. She was a well-trained specimen, with speed, endurance and flight skill superior to... well, any other Deadly Nadder in the world. This was a breeze compared to how hard it used to be when the island of Berk had first started training dragons.

She guided the airborne reptile to fly straight, deciding it was best to find a place to rest before figuring out how to get back on course. They had been flying in this speed and direction for several hours already. The two of them were probably _way_ outside any of the mapped trade routes. Berk's heir didn't know how _exactly_ she would solve this problem, but she would concentrate on that when she was in more favorable conditions.

"Hang in there, girl! We'll find a place to land soon!" she yelled over the sound of crashing waves, attempting to sound reassuring, though more for herself than her dragon. Stormfly actually _liked_ venturing through storms, which was the main reason behind the name Astrid had given her.

However, venturing through storms while having a rider on her back had taken some getting used to, for both of them.

A few hours had gone by when the tempest finally subsided, and it was less than an hour later when relief coursed through her being as land appeared on the horizon. To her surprise, the landmass stretched as far as her eyes could see. Had they really flown so far that they reached the mainland? It seemed she needed to work a little on her calculations.

Stormfly thrust her legs into the sea mid-flight and deftly used the claws to catch several fish, dropping them onto the rocky beach before landing. Fishing out some supplies out of the water-proof bags tied to the saddle, Astrid immediately started making camp. Judging by the lack of footprints or anything else that would indicate human or animal presence, she felt safe in setting up her tent and putting one of the fishes over a newly-made fire.

As her first meal in half a day roasted in preparation to be eaten, she surveyed her surroundings with an analytical eye. It was late afternoon at the moment, the Sun beginning to turn orange as it sunk slowly on the horizon.

There was little to nothing documented about the mainland, except the stories from traders. However, all of the traders were of Viking origin so they, unsurprisingly, tended to be of a rather boastful nature, spouting incredible tales of monsters and magic that people learned to take with a grain of salt. In all honesty, she thought the traders themselves would've learned by now, but Vikings would be Vikings; boar-headed and stubborn.

Hell, one of them had claimed that he and his crew had run aground on a land inhabited by man-eating giants. The man had cried and wailed, saying that nearly all of his crew had fallen prey to these creatures. Needless to say, words like 'insane' and 'off his rocker' had been thrown around in the Great Hall that night.

They were just a bit more respectful the next morning when they had found the trader and what remained of his crew hanging by the neck off the sails of their ship.

Astrid had a mixed opinion on that incident. On one hand, she wasn't keen on dismissing the possibility too quickly. After all, Berk trained dragons, which had been a repulsive and incredulous notion before Hiccup had changed that, and they were aware of at least two species that exceeded 300 feet in length.

On the other hand, she wouldn't readily trust the word of a man who could've very well gone mad with terror and grief. His tale sounded a tad too far-fetched, even for her standards. Nonetheless, she couldn't deny a slight feeling of... unease in her gut when she had heard about his experiences, real or exaggerated. It had increased almost to slight dread when their bodies had been found.

Stoick, the chief of Berk, had insisted that none of it was their concern, as it didn't affect them in any significant way. He had been instilling into her the classic leadership traits, like diplomacy and caution and tact, for the past several years, even before she had earned the title of heir. One of the lessons was that leaders, even Viking leaders, should listen more to their head than their gut. Those that do tend to get less trouble and more positive results.

She was brought back to reality when she noticed that her meal was ready. She grabbed the stick that the fish was on and bit into it, savoring the taste as she listened to the wooshes of air leaving Stormfly's nostrils, the Deadly Nadder obviously content that she finally got a chance to rest. The shieldmaiden felt a small pang of guilt, but reminded herself that she had gone through worse when less trained.

From what she could gleam, right behind the boundaries of the beach began a cluster a trees that gradually grew in height, to the point that they far surpassed even the tallest trees that grew on her island. She imagined there was plenty of game in there to catch, in the probable case she decided to head further inland.

There was little she could solve if she remained here, and just heading straight out in the open ocean would probably get her even more lost. If there was a town or a village deeper in the woods, perhaps they had maps that could help, or directions to a port town. She hadn't seen one when nearing the landmass and she'd rather not have fish for breakfast, lunch _and_ dinner in a possibly fruitless search for one.

"Where the fuck am I?"Astrid asked no one in particular before yawning suddenly, unable to resist the urge any longer. She was more exhausted than she had first thought. Knowing she wouldn't make any important discoveries with her mind tired as it was, she crawled into her tent and settled herself into a comfortable position, laying her two trusty, Gronckle-iron axes by her side just in case.

"Good night, Stormfly!"

A sleepy squawk was the dragon's response.

* * *

After breakfast, the Viking heir packed her supplies and began venturing deeper into the mainland. She was astounded as Stormfly had to fly higher and higher, due to the trees getting taller and taller. She was certain a few odd ones were well over a 150 feet tall.

The height and the thick leafage made it impossible to see what was on ground level, but it wasn't all that important since they probably wouldn't be making any stops until they reached a settlement, and surely even trees like the ones they were flying over couldn't hide an entire village. Although, she did feel a seed of doubt gnaw at her insides when noticing a complete lack of roads, wondering if any people she'd encounter, if she'd even manage to be that lucky, would actually know anything about any port towns.

Or about the ocean itself, incredible as the thought was. Hopefully, the trees simply hid the roads from the bird's-eye view.

She was both relieved and confounded when she saw what looked to be a line of white appear in the distance over the edge of the trees. She urged her dragon to climb higher, to avoid spooking anyone if people happened to be present. Approaching nearer and taking out her spyglass to get a closer look, she realized it was a wall.

And what a wall it was, she thought as she openly gaped in wonder.

For starters, it was nearly 200 feet high and divided into segments. The smaller one was U shaped, attached to the bigger segment of the same height that extended straight east and west in a somewhat circular formation. She couldn't guess its exact shape properly because she wasn't able to actually see an end to it.

More than that, a town was encased within the walls.

What in Midgard could actually convince people to build it? Either the residents were threatened by an enemy powerful enough to warrant the construction of such a thing, or they were the most paranoid fuckers in the whole world. Looking at the massive construct, Astrid seriously doubted anyone was _that_ paranoid.

And that left the first option, which did nothing to soothe her nerves.

Focusing her sight on the U shape, she didn't see any people on top of it or around the suspiciously jagged entrance, which looked like the Red Death's tail had smashed through it. Despite the architectural monstrosity defending it, the town seemed oddly deserted. Commanding her dragon to steadily lower down while still observing with her spyglass, the sight slowly became more familiar, and yet, simultaneously not.

It reminded her of the times when Berk was still raided by dragons; wrecked homes and various objects lying on the paths in pieces. There was even an inexplicable, sullen atmosphere that blanketed the place. The main difference was there were no burn marks or signs of any sort of dragon fire. More odd were the several great stones, the same white as the wall, that lied around the settlement.

Deciding to investigate, Astrid guided her dragon to where one of the stone pieces happened to be. Not foolish enough to let her guard down, she took one of her axes off the harness while climbing off of Stormfly. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear when she saw the huge rock up close.

It was lying on what were obviously the ruins of what used to be a wooden house, as if it had been dropped on top of it from the sky. The fact that it _was_ a piece of the wall when inspecting it from up close made her gulp nervously. She didn't like the possible implications.

Steeling her nerves, she walked into what probably used to be a home to some family. Looking around, she noticed a set of stairs leading downwards. Hoping to find any sort of information on her current whereabouts, she began walking towards them. The floorboards creaked ominously as they were stepped on, the sound reverberating like a clanking of a hammer in the silence. She stopped when a nasty and _frighteningly_ _familiar_ scent hit her nose. Turning her head to the side, her face paled.

A pair of half rotten legs, human legs, were lying in a pool of dried blood.

She took a quick step back, her grip on the axe tightening. The sight, though not the first gruesome one in her battle-ridden life, made her feel a bit sick. Just as she was about to leave the wreckage and return to Stormfly, a small tremor shook the ground.

"Stormfly!" she yelled while taking out her other axe, running outside to meet her dragon. Whoever did these demented acts was definitely _not_ friendly. A few more tremors had occured by the time she reached Stormfly.

The reptile was squawking, but she wasn't looking at her rider. She was looking to Astrid's left instead. Turning her gaze in the same direction, she nearly dropped her axes at the sight of a naked, 40-foot giant trudging down the road towards them.

After the appropriate emotions of fear and astonishment, the first coherent thought that registered in her mind was what she'd later admit was a very unexpected one.

 _I guess that crazy trader was telling the truth, after all._


	2. Chapter 2

Ugly.

As the giant kept on approaching, and her shock receded enough for her to think clearly, the first word she'd use to describe the creature was ugly. Most would probably use the word big, but Astrid felt her choice was even more appropriate. Pot-bellied, messy blond hair, wide-eyed with a disgusting grin on its face, she felt an involuntary twitch in her throat and stomach.

She swallowed it down while raising both her axes, ready to fight the monster. She was admittedly somewhat afraid of this new development, but her confidence didn't waver. For many years she had been trained to fight giant reptiles who had wings, scales and the ability to breathe fire. This thing was sluggish and, if the trader was to be believed now that she knew he had spoken the truth, simple-minded with only the desire to devour human flesh.

She had imagined many ways in which she could die during her violent life, but getting eaten by a big baby was not the most preferable.

She would do her best to avoid that fate.

However, just as the giant was 25 feet from them, Stormfly raised her tail and launched several spikes at it. Each and every one of them struck true, the area around the points of impact turning a dark green due to the poison taking effect.

It didn't stop it, let alone kill it, but it did turn even more sluggish than before. This left the creature wide open, which her dragon unashamedly used to torch it with her flames, hitting it directly in its stomach. The shield-maiden resisted the urge to cover her nose as the scent of burnt flesh reached her. Steam rose from the charred hole on its torso.

But it still didn't stop.

Astrid gasped in astonishment, gazing wide-eyed as the wound began mending itself at an alarming rate. This, the trader certainly didn't mention. Not only that, but the infected areas also began regaining their former color, obviously dispelling the poison somehow.

Impossible.

If it could so easily survive being simultaneously poisoned and heavily burnt, could it even be killed?

A new set of tremors caused both of them to turn their heads towards the other end of the road, where they saw another one of these things. This one was smaller, but not by much. Worse, it was pacing towards them at a much faster rate than the first one.

She took a step back from Stormfly to give herself some space and not accidentally take a slice out of her dragon. To her surprise, both gazes followed her form, completely ignoring her much bigger companion.

Simple creatures with only a desire to devour human flesh, just as the man had said.

Astrid gritted her teeth, the two giants were too close for her to safely reach Stormfly and fly away. There was no choice, they would each have to take on one. Fortunately, the fact they would ignore her dragon was actually a boon, since it would allow the Deadly Nadder to attack one of them without worrying about retaliation.

Or so she hoped. Nonetheless, dragons were naturally powerful, dangerous beings, and Stormfly wasn't just any run-of-the-mill dragon.

She trusted her companion of ten years to keep herself alive.

"Stormfly, you take the smaller one! Attack it from all angles! Find a weak spot!" Berk's heir commanded. The reptile flew into the air, heading straight for the smaller giant. Astrid set her gaze on the first one, now much nearer.

All things that were alive and working had at least one weak spot, for they all had a system that worked to make it alive. Disrupt the system and the living thing died. Therefore, everything that was alive and working could be killed.

She just needed to find out how to disrupt this thing's system.

When it got close enough, the giant made a grab for her. It might have been slow on its feet, but its hands were pretty quick. Still, she easily saw it coming, somersaulting over the hand. Keeping up with the momentum, she spun while outstretching her arms. Both blades cut cleanly through the inner side of its ankles, causing it to pitch forward.

Stopping the spinning motion, she took two running steps and jumped onto the back of its leg. She leaped off the appendage and landed on its ass - she grimaced in embarrassment and disgust - before using the built up energy from the jumps to make a great leap forward, aiming for the back of the skull.

However, the monster managed to break its fall using its arms, causing the nape of the neck to become the unintentional target. Knowing it was already too late to change course, she flipped twice in mid-air and brought her axes down with a shout of exertion, burying them hilt-deep in the meat.

She was surprised by how easily the axes had cut through the muscles, even if they were made of Gronckle-iron. She grunted when the giant suddenly fell forward, landing on the hard ground. After a few seconds of inactivity, she figured it was finally dead.

A squawk from her dragon caused her to look up. She smiled happily at seeing her dragon proudly standing on the corpse of the other giant, which had fallen on one of the houses. Its body was riddled with Stormfly's tail spikes and half-healed scratches and burn marks. The most noticeable feature was the big, steaming burn mark on the back of its neck.

She looked at it carefully before looking down at the two deep cuts on the neck of the one she killed. The back of the neck was obviously their weakness, the spot where injury could cause instant death.

Good to know.

She nearly fell off the corpse when the ground shook again. She saw another one of those things, the biggest one yet, sauntering to them from the same end of the street as the second one had come.

Not wanting to take her chances, she harnessed her blades and signaled Stormfly, who obediently flew towards her. When passing by her rider, Astrid grabbed and used one of her horns to deftly flip herself onto the saddle. With that they immediately rose into the air and far out of the reach of the giant.

She breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back in an attempt to relax her stiff muscles. That had been like something out of a nightmare. She chanced a look down and saw that a few more giants had entered the boundaries of the town, most likely attracted by the commotion their fight had caused.

"Holy shit," she breathed, her brow furrowed in horrified fascination.

An enemy that had warranted the construction of those walls indeed, but it seemed even they couldn't have stopped those things from breaking in and devouring the whole population.

No, logically speaking, that couldn't be true. The town was large; there must have been more than enough time for a good amount of people to escape. Not to mention the evacuation plans in case the wall was ever breached. The second wall was proof that such a possibility had been taken into account.

If the people who lived in these walls were cautious enough to build them in the first place, surely they had the sense to consider making contingencies for the worst case scenario, should it ever occur.

But that was all rendered irrelevant in light of the more important issue:

Where to go?

The logical choice was to go back to shore and find a way back home, try to forget this ever happened. She had no reason or business staying here. By now, her absence has surely been noticed and everybody must be worried. She hoped her delay hadn't accidentally caused her tribe's relations with the Lava-Louts to turn sour.

Another part of her though, she didn't know whether it was her conscience or wanderlust or something else, wanted to go further inland, to try and find survivors and as much about this place as she could. The voice in her mind that urged her in that direction sounded suspiciously like Hiccup.

Of course it did. They had separated on bad terms the first time he had left, but after coming back, temporarily as it was, they had reconciled well-enough for him to openly recount his experiences of the world outside the Archipelago.

The world grew smaller on dragonback, far off places became easier to reach, and with the pressure to serve and protect her home, which she had only then realized how stifling it truly had been, alleviated, it gave birth to the desire to explore and figure out their secrets. Hiccup's tales only exacerbated the issue.

But Berk was her home.

Berk was her duty.

In a way it never had been for Hiccup.

In the end, Berk was also what kept them apart, what kept her apart from true happiness.

But nothing defined Astrid more than duty to her home, especially now as the heir of the tribe. That sense of duty allowed her to be at least content with a rather stationary life, and not follow the one she loved on his gallivanting, no matter how tempting it had been.

Now she was in a foreign land by chance of a freak storm. By chance she had stumbled on a people that might've been in desperate need of help, which Hiccup would've provided without a second thought. By chance she was in a position to follow his footsteps, if only in part.

She knew then, that this time, she could not resist the temptation.

* * *

The mission wasn't going as well as planned, Captain Levi surmised.

He grimaced internally at the sight of another of his soldiers getting eaten by a Titan, screaming in hopeless desperation all the way, before being promptly cut off by the titan's jaws biting down on his neck. That was the third one today, and many more had already been injured.

The squad had stumbled on a pair of them in the forest, one an 8 meter and the other a 12 meter, and had engaged them. It wasn't even 30 seconds before they were ambushed by a new one, a 15 meter Titan and obviously an Abnormal. After that, it had all gone to hell when the ruckus attracted two more, both of them at least 6 meters.

Yes, it definitely wasn't going as well as planned.

Even he couldn't be in all places at the same time, and the unexpected turn for the worse had caused most of them to shit their pants in fright. He would've scoffed if their lives weren't in danger. They should've known better than to be so complacent as to think that there was no risk of things going south. Having expectations in life-or-death missions only led to the inability to adapt when things didn't go according to plan.

He whirled in the air with his blades outstretched, cutting cleanly through the 8 meter's nape. It fell down with him standing on its head, his swords coated in steaming blood. At least it would disappear before it had a chance to dry. Bloodstains were always so hard to remove.

A shrill scream of fear caused him to turn his head. One of his soldiers was caught by a 6 meter, holding her arms pinned against her body as tears streamed down her face. The Titan that held her was one of those types who could open their maw _really_ wide. He hated those; as if they needed a reminder that these monsters were here to eat them all.

Just as he got ready to step in, he heard the sound of whirling blades and saw the somersaulting form of a woman with two axes cleaving through the wrist that held his subordinate. The hand landed on the ground, the appendage cushioning the fall for her, who immediately used that opportunity to escape.

Meanwhile, before she could fall, the newcomer had thrust one of her blades into the Titan's arm and used it to swing herself onto it. She simply stood there, crouching somewhat as it opened its mouth again. Just when it rushed forward to swallow her, she leaped to the side and dodged the lunge, causing the Titan to bite down on its own arm.

To his surprise, the moment she touched the bark of the tree she landed against, she pushed off it in an impressive jump towards another tree that was at minimum three meters away. This time, she used a second to gather her strength and sprung off the bark, spinning horizontally in a maneuver very similar to the one he liked to use.

Just as it would've worked for him, the axes sliced cleanly through the back of the creature's neck. The woman landed in a crouch, her back facing the Titan that fell down right after her.

Few could boast killing a Titan without the aid of ODM gear.

Levi had to admit that he was impressed.

It was her bad luck that the 12 meter decided to focus on her, bending down and taking a swipe at her with its right arm. He imagined he adopted a pretty stupid expression when she dodged by bending backwards, her knuckles touching the ground.

She backflipped and jumped onto the same arm before it could react. She then did another humanly almost impossible jump and swung her left axe across the bridge of its nose and through its eyes. The Titan promptly stood up while gripping its useless eyes, bellowing in pain. The newcomer, who had clung to its jaws with her axes, was thrown upwards by the sudden motion, but instead of flying out of control, twisted gracefully in an incredible display of acrobatics. When she came to the apex of her flight, about 20 feet right above the 12 meter, she raised her axes upward and began somersaulting as she descended, the motion causing her blades to leave behind streaks of white.

Blood spurted from the back of the Titan, deep trenches on the nape and upper back. She wasn't done, however. The woman kicked off when she reached the end of the shoulder blades, and Levi saw that she was headed towards the 7 meter right next to them, who had its back to her. She slashed in a crisscross maneuver, leaving a deep X mark on its kill spot.

The beast fell down with her on its neck, standing right over the mark she made. When she raised her head, she looked straight at him. He gave her a blank, but hard stare, fully aware of his teammates looking up at her in a mixture of awe and trepidation. She unflinchingly replied him in kind.

Their attention was then diverted to the 15 meter Abnormal running at them while spouting nonsense. Before he could even ready his swords, a flash of orange and yellow struck the back of its head. It collapsed with its head falling right between the Captain and the newcomer, thick smoke coming from the large scorch mark on the nape of its neck.

Did one of his men bring a portable cannon when he wasn't looking? If so, he would thoroughly congratulate them, but not before giving them an equally thorough beating for bringing in unauthorized equipment.

Not five seconds later, Levi felt the rare feeling of astonishment as a large, reptilian creature landed on the dead Titan's head. Its large, yellow eyes immediately sought out the strange woman, who actually _smiled_ at it.

This thing was her _pet_? Who in their right mind would have _this_ as a pet? Maybe she wasn't in her right mind. That had the potential of making her even more dangerous than she has already proved herself to be, in case she was hostile.

His superior officer, Commander Erwin Smith, came forward and put a hand on his shoulder, as if sensing his thoughts. The much taller looked down at him and shook his head, and it was only then that Levi realized that he had tightened his grip on his swords. He relaxed his nerves, his hold loosening and nodded up to Erwin in silent agreement.

The Commander walked towards the woman and beast, who had climbed down from the carcasses, no doubt going to attempt the diplomatic approach first. Thankfully, if she had noticed his unintentional stance, which a warrior of her caliber undoubtedly had, she didn't comment on it.

That was a good sign, if anything.

* * *

Astrid wrapped her hand somewhat loosely around Stormfly's nasal horn, the silent signal for her to keep calm. It was also a reassuring gesture for herself, a reminder to both her and the man approaching that she had a fire-breathing dragon and wasn't afraid to use it.

Stopping 20 feet from them, he spoke up, "Greetings. I thank you for saving the lives of my comrades. If I may ask, who are you?"

He was obviously trying to be diplomatic, which put her mind at ease a little. Still, she wasn't going to be fooled by first impressions. This was the beginning of a verbal dance that would determine the relationship between her and the people here.

"You may, but it's common courtesy for you to introduce yourself first."

He was quiet for a few moments before nodding, "I am Commander Erwin Smith and the group behind me is my squad. The man at the front is Captain Levi, my second-in-command."

"I am Astrid Hofferson, heir to the tribe of the island of Berk," she reciprocated.

She was surprised by the sudden expressions of shock appearing on the faces of the soldiers.

"Wait, did she just say 'island'?"

"If that's true, than that she came from across the ocean."

"She's lying! It's imposs-˝

"All of you, shut up!" Captain Levi ordered his men sternly. Astrid was impressed by how they all straightened almost in tandem. He then turned to her, glaring, "Are we actually supposed to believe that you came from an island? From across the ocean? Do you take us for fools?"

A rude little shit, literally for the 'little' part, if she ever saw one. Still, what he said piqued her curiosity, "Are you saying you've never seen the ocean before?"

The Commander gave his right-hand man a reprimanding stare, as if he had just revealed a sensitive piece of information. That was answer enough. It shouldn't be too surprising, considering how infested these lands were with those man-eating giants.

She gave them a wry smile while patting Stormfly's nose, "Well, long distances tend to become considerably shorter while riding a dragon."

This time, the two leaders were as equally baffled as their subordinates. Erwin Smith was the first to compose himself, "Dragon? I thought they were only myths."

"They're very common where I come from. Although," She gave a glance at the carcasses, dissolving at an incredible rate, "you yourself seem to have creatures of myth inhabiting your land. I've never seen giants before."

"Titans," Erwin said. When the dragon rider raised an eyebrow at him, he clarified, "They're called Titans. They have taken all the territory between Wall Maria and Wall Rose. I imagine you've already seen Wall Maria, if you've managed to get all the way here."

She nodded, "I have. I've also been in a town, or what was left of it, encased in the walls. That's where I first saw these Titans.˝

A shadow passed over the man's eyes, the grief clearly visible, "That was Shiganshina District. It was taken from us 5 years ago. We've been trying to retake it from them, but-˝

She continued for him when he paused for a few seconds, "But your efforts have proven fruitless, correct?˝

"Unfortunately so," he responded, the soldiers behind him mirroring his expression. This was obviously a sore topic from them.

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely.

The man didn't react, just composed his features back into the neutral mask that seemed so natural to him, she wouldn't be surprised if he had been born with it. Before he could speak, however, one of the soldiers cut in.

"Wait! Did you say you were the heir of a tribe? Like... a tribe of people?" she asked incredulously. She had brownish-blond hair and a rather short stature. All of them suddenly perked up, as if they just figured out a big mystery.

Astrid nodded, "Yes." She looked closely at their expressions of disbelief, some even beginning to adopt a hint of... hopefulness. "Why is this so surprising to you?"

The woman gulped before answering, "It's because we thought that all of humanity outside the walls had been wiped out."

Astrid's eyebrows rose, taken aback by this new piece of information. These people had truly believed that they were the last of humanity. That must had been an extremely depressing thought. It explained why they were so enthusiastic to reclaim their lost lands.

"I assure you, humanity outside your walls still exists. We have traders who've sailed to far away places, so I know there are people outside of my region as well."

Erwin Smith suddenly stepped forward, determination set on his calm face, "I apologize, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with us. As you could understand, we have questions that we'd very much like answered."

A bold move, not to mention audacious. That was a thinly veiled demand at best, and an outright order at worst.

She was almost impressed.

"I'll be happy answer them... within reason, of course. I have conditions," she replied with calm firmness.

"That's pretty ballsy, considering you've trespassed into _our_ territory. You ought to be happy we are nice as we've been so far," the little Captain said, a rude, mocking undertone to his otherwise emotionless voice. For some reason, she found it endearing.

"And you ought to be more grateful, considering I've saved the lives of _your_ comrades. Besides, I recall your Commander saying that all the territory from Wall Maria to this Wall Rose has been taken by the Titans." She was gratified to see said Commander wince slightly at that. "By your own logic, I'm not trespassing at all. As for the Titans, I don't think they'd mind a new, warm, human body in their midst for them to feast on, or try to at least."

Levi's eyes narrowed at her, emotions she couldn't recognize flicking through them. She thought she at least saw consternation at being verbally outmaneuvered by her, feeling a small swell of pride.

Erwin seemed to contemplate his options, finally sighing in resignation, "What are your terms?"

She raised a finger, "One: as a foreign dignitary or royalty, either one is fine, you won't take me as your prisoner, nor will you try to forcefully extract information from me."

He nodded easily at that, and she raised a second finger, "Two: for saving the lives of your comrades, you won't separate me from Stormfly, my dragon."

"Can you control it? There are a lot of people where we're going, and I'd rather not have it burn innocents to ash," he said.

She smirked at him as Stormfly's pupils narrowed into slits, effectively scaring most of them, "Control would be the wrong word. _She_ is highly intelligent and has understood everything we've said so far. I can promise you she won't attack anyone unless she is attacked first. As a further show of gratitude, it will be your responsibility to warn your men and to face the consequences should they not listen."

He grimaced, looking quite skeptical, but if they had believed that they were truly all that was left of humans, than she knew whatever information she held would be too valuable to let go. As expected, he nodded again, though in palpable reluctance.

She then raised a third finger, "Three: as a token of civility, you will do your best to answer whatever questions I have. It's only fair, after all."

He nodded quickly enough, finding it a reasonable enough request. As a show of faith, limited as it was, she stepped away from her dragon and approached Erwin, extending her right hand. He appeared somewhat flabbergasted by the gesture, but eventually gave her a faint smile and shook her hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Edited** (06/04/2018)

* * *

Astrid stared down at the settlement as she flew over it on Stormfly, the first signs of daybreak appearing on the horizon. Trost District, it was called. She couldn't see much due to the shadow Wall Rose cast over it, but there was just enough light to distinguish the tightly-packed buildings and houses. It was quite beautiful from her perspective, in a very exotic sort of way. She wondered if Hiccup had passed over it.

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she denied it. Had he been here and discovered the plight of the residents, he would've offered aid immediately. In all honesty, the heiress was patting herself on the back for how much she managed to achieve so far. She knew she didn't have his skill in diplomacy and negotiation, proven when he almost single-handedly succeeded in not only bringing the tribes together on the issue of dragon training but in utilizing them to strengthen the alliances.

Seeing him in action in all those meetings had been awe-inspiring. Thankfully, it seemed she learned a thing or two. Gods bless the power of observation.

A great deal of her attention was on the form of the person riding with her, shaking as she looked down upon Trost in excitement and wonder. She felt a rush of nostalgia as a smile bloomed on her face, remembering her first flight on a dragon. A couple hours earlier, she and Commander Erwin had agreed that she would fly over the town and land near the training barracks with a note for the instructor, Keith Shadis. They hoped it would be enough to persuade the man to not shoot her on the spot or put her in chains. Not that he would've been able to, but every conceivable scenario other than non-hostilities was bad.

However, Hange Zoe had argued to come along with her, both to make sure she reached the right place and to prevent any misunderstandings. Understandably, Erwin had been highly skeptical, as well as fully aware that the main reason one of his Section Commanders wanted to do it was to experience reaching heights ODM gear could never accomplish. After a brief discussion, the blond man had reluctantly agreed, but only thanks to a deciding factor that was most... unconventional.

While the two were talking, she had felt a presence behind her before hearing the sound of inhalation of air. Her reaction had been _a bit_ violent, which was her grabbing the back of the man's neck and flipping him over her shoulder and pressing her foot down on his chest. Reflexes developed from a lifetime of training and combat would do that to someone. Fortunately, Levi had stepped in and talked her into letting the soldier go. It was then she was introduced to 'Humanity's Second Strongest', Mike Zacharias. He had been very gracious in his embarrassment and even apologized for invading her personal space.

Hange had explained to her that he had an uncanny sense of smell, having developed the habit of sniffing any new person he met. She had convinced the dragon rider to allow him to do the same to her, though not without protest. After doing so, Mike had only smirked and voted for allowing the brunette to ride on Stormfly with her, surprising everybody present. Apparently, he was very trusted among the troops and, for one reason or another, so was his nose.

Weird or not, she was grateful for his input. She was a little less grateful for the uncomfortable sensation of soggy hands gripping her shirt, the scientist having gotten them moist after plunging them through several clouds. Astrid couldn't find it within herself to be annoyed though, nostalgia striking up again.

"This is amazing. I never thought I'd see one of the districts from all the way up here," Hange said, practically whispering in her exhilaration.

"What about the walls? Can't you look down on them from the top of Wall Rose?" she asked.

She felt her companion shake her head, "It's not the same. From up here, you can see it _all together_ ; the district, the Wall, the plains and woods behind it. With the ODM gear, the world passes by too quickly, you can't exactly focus on the scenery while having to think about where to swing next, and we don't normally use the gear inside the towns to begin with. No, this is... just amazing."

Astrid smiled without turning her head, fully agreeing with the sentiment,"I know. I thought the same thing the first time Hiccup and Toothless took me for a ride. I could've done without the stunts that scared the steaming shit out of me, but I guess I'd deserved that." Boy, did she.

Gods, happy memories made her such a damn mountain of mush. Many years back, she would've been repulsed for letting her disposition soften like this, deeming it unviking-like and weak. Back when her world used to be so narrow and clear-cut.

Fortunately for her, even the most willful of children grew up eventually.

"Just keep flying straight. At this rate, we should be there in less than 5 minutes," Hange instructed her.

Following her directions, she guided Stormfly higher in order to avoid the Garrison personnel on the wall. The blond viking saw there were buildings on the other side as well, probably an extension of Trost District. As the scientist had said, less than five minutes later they came upon what was obviously a large training field. It was very rocky and surrounded by a metal fence. As a warrior herself, she easily recognized the barracks, which housed the-soon-to-be graduates.

"You see that big house over there?" Her companion pointed to the biggest of the wooden constructions in the camp. "That's the Academy. There they do the scholarly part of their training. The smaller house by its side is the storage shed. There they keep most of the gear and other equipment. You're gonna get well acquainted with the training grounds in the next couple months."

She was already talking like there wasn't a shred of doubt that their Commander-in-chief would allow her to stay and aid them. Part of her envied Hange her optimism, but Astrid knew better than to get ahead of herself. Nothing was certain yet, if ever. Although, taking everything into consideration, the odds were in her favor. Erwin seemed confident in the outcome. Either that or, if he did have them, he didn't allow himself to outwardly express his doubts.

They passed by a watchtower, which was unmanned. With Hange's instructions, they landed by the front door of Keith Shadis' personal quarters. With a huge impish grin - and was that a blush? - the brunette stepped forth and knocked on the door.

After some scrambling from the inside, it was almost violently wrenched open.

* * *

He never really hated kids, though he never particularly liked them either.

Keith Shadis was a man of the military. More than that, he had been a commander of a regiment. The smallest and least privileged regiment, sure, but no one doubted the quality and discipline of its soldiers. Therefore, it was understandable that he preferred the company of battle-hardened, no-bullshit hard-asses that were the Scouts.

Sadly, he hadn't been worthy of the title of their commander. Perhaps he hadn't necessarily been a bad leader, but no progress had come about the duration of his reign. Hundreds of soldiers sent to their deaths without achieving any headway. In other words, pointless sacrifices, and that was just the tip of the iceberg. Recognizing one's own faults and incompetency was difficult, but crucial, which was why the decision to resign from the Survey Corps was a point of pride for him, even as he settled for playing mother hen to a load of callow hayseeds that were the trainees.

At least, he excelled at his job.

There was talent in the latest generation, a lot of it. But in each generation, there was always at least one pair of recruits that acted like feral dipshits in the presence of one another.

Namely, Jean Kirstein and Eren Yeager. Dear God, their names alone gave him a migraine.

Those two particular trainees had another one of their scuffles last night, and he had woken up especially early today to think of a fitting punishment. With them, he had to be creative, because if he just gave them the same thing over and over again, it'd turn into a routine, and they would throw down all that more often. And yet, these two punks were doubtless top ten material, he thought as he massaged his brow.

Rivalries were all well and good, but this went _way_ beyond that. It was bitterness, hatred and differing opinions compounded into one big, ugly-as-fuck mess. He didn't expect every recruit to get along; hell, some bad blood was always anticipated. Still, what _was_ expected of them was _discipline,_ the ability to put their petty pride and differences aside when necessary and band together. One never knew which of their comrades they could find themselves in dire straits with, and if they couldn't work together, or worse, hindered each other, they were colossally _fucked._

He felt both hope and dread for them, especially Yeager, the son of his presumably dead friend, Grisha. The kid wanted to join the Scout Regiment - not like he hadn't shouted it a couple dozen times for the whole goddamn camp to hear - and his hotheadedness seriously worried the drill sergeant.

In the end, it was Eren's decision to make, and he didn't have the right to stop him. The fact he sabotaged the boy's aptitude test and had changed his mind only near the very end was bad enough. Keith could only pray that his skill would offset his crude sense of self-regulation.

He didn't think he could handle the guilt if the brat died.

His ruminations were suddenly cut short by a few knocks on the door, which was thoroughly confusing. Who the hell would need his attention _now_? It was barely dawn; normally, the Commandant would still be asleep, the trainees as well. That meant it was probably a fellow instructor, but even so, for whatever reason they disturbed him so early it was most likely urgent.

If it wasn't, well, he at least had an excuse to wail on them like a mad dog.

He pushed himself off his chair and reached for his coat, putting it on as he speed-walked for the entrance. He turned the doorknob and opened the door dramatically, for effect, about to demand the reason for the disturbance. However, as his mouth remained open, no sound came out. It was kinda hard to formulate sentences when one of the people he least expected stood on his doorstep, waving cheerily in greeting as the man just continued to gaze dumbfoundedly.

"Hange? The hell are you doing here? Wasn't your crazy ass supposed to be on an expedition?" he demanded as soon as he found his voice again.

"Ah well, you see, due to unexpected circumstances, our trip was cut short," she chuckled while rubbing the back of her head.

It was then that the Commandant noticed a shape behind her, and his sunken eyes promptly bulged at the sight. A few feet behind Hange stood a blonde woman, taller than most, having at minimum a good three inches on the brunette. She was dressed quite oddly; a tight, sleeveless, red shirt with a fur-outlined hood, metal pauldrons, a spiked skirt, blue leggings and fur boots. Her forearms were covered by leather vambraces also outlined with fur at the edges.

But what really made Keith feel like ice-cold water had been spilled down his back was the large, spike-riddled whatever-the-hell-it-was peering at him from behind her. He flinched when the strange woman raised a hand and waved, the _thing_ squawking right along with the gesture, as if practiced.

"W-What the fuck is that!? Hange, what is _hmmph-_ "

His rant was cut short by a bold hand on the Commandant's mouth, courtesy of the Section Commander. "Shhh! You want the whole camp to hear us!?" the brunette whispered harshly to him. Glaring at her, he tried to burn a hole through her skull; did she _not_ notice the dangerous looking thing standing a couple meters away, and what the fuck was she doing silencing him like that? He felt his eye almost twitch in embarrassment, even as fear gripped him, when the blonde's lips upturned momentarily in well-hidden amusement. "We need to talk. In _private_. All you need to know is she... _they're_ with us."

Thoughts of mutilating the annoying woman aside, he was taken aback slightly when she referred to the _thing_ as if it was a person. However, his former subordinate was giving Shadis an uncharacteristically serious look, which did wonders to assuage some of his worries. While Hange's self-preservation instincts in her pursuit of knowledge left a lot to be desired - meaning, she was batshit crazy around Titans - she wasn't stupid, far from it.

He watched as the blonde suddenly turned her head to the beast, "Stormfly, go to that forest over there and hide. Try not to draw any attention." When _Stormfly_ looked between her and Shadis in what he swore was concern written all over its scaly face and a disturbing amount of intelligence, she smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, girl. They won't do anything to me, even if they try to."

His eyes narrowed, not sure what to make of that last comment. Conversely, he noted Hange casting an apprehensive glance towards the axes harnessed to her back, which was a rather unusual choice of weapons. Judging by the Section Commander's expression, he surmised that she was quite proficient in utilizing them though. Now that he paid closer attention, he saw that while her build was lean, her body was compact with well-toned muscles, her frame being broader than even the Ackerman girl's.

A warrior, no doubt.

The Commandant's gaze followed Stormfly as the creature bigger than a horse and carriage _flew_ away, settling back on the newcomer not long after. She glared back composedly, tension cropping up at the silent stare down between the two. Unfortunately for her, he never backed down from a challenge and no one beat Keith Shadis in a staring contest.

A sudden cough ended it for them both and brought their attention back to the brunette, who was patiently holding a folded piece of paper out for him to take. Having the decency to feel a twinge of shame, but too much pride to show it, he took the note and stretched it out. Immediately recognizing Erwin's elegant handwriting, meticulous bastard he was, it basically detailed what Hange had just told him. Welcome the woman into the camp, hide her and Stormfly ( _h_ _oly shit_ , that thing was a _dragon_!) and wait for further instructions.

Simple enough, though he'd learned that the simplest things tended to cause the biggest headaches.

 _Aaand_ his mind went back to cadets Yeager and Kirstein.

Sighing, he gestured for the two women to enter his abode.

* * *

Relief coursed through Levi's form as Wall Rose loomed over them, its shadow a comforting presence. Thankfully, there were no casualties on the way back, and only one Titan had attacked, though it had been wobbly and stumbling around as if trying to walk off a bad hangover. Thank God Hange hadn't been there when it appeared. He could just imagine it now; Titans getting drunk on eating people, and shitty glasses coming up with a fuck-ton of insane theories on how it was possible.

He stopped himself from thinking about it any further. It was bad enough he could anticipate the crazy lady's crazy thought process, making him question his own sanity. He didn't need anymore on his plate.

Oluo Bozado had quickly dispatched it, followed by a bout of boasting from him and groans from his squad mates. While threatening him with cleaning the HQ's bathrooms to shut his hole had been considered, Levi had instead shrugged it off, finding it not worth the effort. As annoying as the younger man was imitating him like a monkey, his claims weren't baseless. Sure, everyone expressed exasperation at his pretentious attitude, but no one contradicted the fact that he was one of the best Titan slayers in the Survey Corps. After all, the Captain himself handpicked Oluo to serve directly under him, with Erwin's permission, of course.

Speaking of which, he stared straight at his superior's back, debating whether to talk to him now or wait till they had settled back at HQ. Though he didn't outwardly show it, he was still reeling from the meeting with Astrid, their new, foreign ally. Or at least, as she had portrayed herself to be.

He believed her story about Vikings, dragons and dragon riders; there was just too much detail for it to be fabricated, not to mention the Dragon Manual and the big scary dragon itself - _her_ self, Levi corrected. Plus, he was good at reading people, and apart from hesitation to reveal certain pieces of information, she had seemed entirely honest about everything else.

Nonetheless, the Captain never once claimed to always be right. For all he knew, Astrid was an expert liar, and her desire to help them was less than genuine. He was disinclined to believe it, all things considered, and saw no conceivable gain in her betraying their trust. Okay, perhaps trust and betrayal were strong words. Respect was more appropriate, for he did respect the Viking heir.

She was very intelligent, definitely intelligent enough to outwit him in a clash of words and arguments, and she fought like a fucking demon. The devastation she had wrought on those three Titans was picture perfect. On top of that, she had a clear and commendable moral compass that was balanced out by a strong sense of pragmatism. He wished the regiment had more like her.

He wondered what were the Commander's thoughts on the matter. He had kept quiet so far, seemingly focused on getting the rest of the troop back to Trost, a great deal more sizable thanks to Astrid and Stormfly. But he had known the man for over six years and had noticed old bushy-brows in deep contemplation.

Wait or not to wait.

... Oh, fuck it. He was Captain goddamn Levi. Unless more productive without a shred of doubt, he didn't stand back or hesitate.

Spurring his horse forward, he drew level with the Scout Commander.

"Nice day we're having," Levi said.

A light smile showed on Erwin's face, "Indeed. It's always a nice day when we return with such few casualties."

"Isn't that right? Remind me again, sir, when was the last time we had so many survivors return from a mission?" He hated using that word; _survivors_. As if every mission was predetermined to be a failure, an open admission of humanity being the losing side in this war. But in the end, that _was_ what they were, and he was nothing if not a realist.

"I've never known you to beat around the bush, Levi. If you have something to ask, go ahead," teased the taller man, no doubt perfectly aware of the topic his subordinate wanted to discuss.

Levi huffed, "Smartass. What do you think of our new _friend_?"

Erwin seemed to contemplate his answer for a few short moments. "Levi, to be perfectly honest," the Commander finally turned to him fully, and the Captain was taken aback by the near-ecstatic expression on his face, "I have never felt so elated in my life."

Levi simply stayed quiet, waiting for Erwin to finish.

"Like Hange said, this changes _everything_. We'll finally have answers to so many questions that her mere presence is going to unearth, questions that the government has tried to sweep under the rug, and answers for which they have killed to keep our heads buried in the sand."

"Like your dad?" The man had informed him of his suspicions regarding the Royal Government's awareness of the outside world, and how his father had been killed for asking the 'wrong' questions. "And you're not worried that this chick might be some murdering sociopath, as batshit insane about slaughtering innocents as Hange is about Titans?"

Erwing released a disbelieving snort, "You don't believe that. You were there, after all. There was nothing in her gaze, posture or demeanor that suggested any such attributes."

"Unlike psychopaths, sociopaths can be fully-functioning," Levi argued, rather weakly despite the validity of the statement.

"Still beating around the bush, Captain. Why don't you just go ahead and ask me if I'm worried if she, or her people, have nefarious intentions towards us." Not that he intended to ask, and Erwin knew that; the question was already out there. The Commander didn't disappoint, "I don't think so, and I'm not just saying this because I'd rather not believe it. Honestly, it's mostly cuz she reminds me of ourselves."

That was an unexpected answer, and one that didn't make the blonde's reasoning any clearer. "What do you mean?"

"Well, more of you and Mike than myself, though certainly more politically savvy. While a statesman, Astrid is a warrior just as much. Furthermore, her tribe - no, her entire culture - is a warrior-oriented one. Such people typically don't busy themselves with intricate politics or put on masks on a constant basis. Warrior's honor and all that. What's more, everything she said alludes to a much more simplistic, even primitive, society than ours, beyond just the fact that Berk has less than 500 inhabitants. There would be no need for that sort of cunning," Erwin elaborated patiently.

"So, that's it?" Levi exclaimed incredulously, and with a tinge of irritation. What kind of bullshit reasoning was that? "We should trust her simply because the alternative would be too atypical for someone of her background? You fucking kidding me or what?"

Not that they knew much of her background to begin with, or that of her people. Sure, Vikings sailing to Berk, dragons raiding Berk, boy-hero saves the day by fraternizing with the enemy, but that was barely scratching the surface. They had little to no idea of their day-to-day activities and routines, how their chief conducted business, or how they negotiated with the other Viking tribes, nor even how well those negotiations normally turn out.

It irked Levi, it really did. Despite appearances, he did _not_ trust Erwin blindly. There were times, like right now, that he questioned the motives behind the taller man's actions. He trusted Erwin's judgment, but he held no doubt that a small part of the man's psyche was truly, harshly twisted. He was a monster, they _both_ were, for humanity's sake. Necessity and good intentions aside, that made their judgment inherently flawed.

When his superior failed to answer him, he sighed, "You're gambling addiction's getting worse, Erwin. One of these days we're gonna have an intervention, and like the real good pal I am, I'll make you listen even if I have to gag and hogtie you with the ODM gear's cables."

Levi was momentarily startled by Erwin's sudden bout of laughter. It was short, barely lasting three seconds, but from him, it was the equivalent of a normal person howling in laughter as loudly as a dog whose tail was stepped on.

"And I'm honored to have a real good pal such as yourself around to keep me in check." The blonde's face turned grim as his chuckles subsided, allowing the short man to see the hints of regret he adamantly claims to not bear, "I'm sorry I'm dragging you and the rest of the regiment into these risky games I'm playing, and I'm sorry that the only thing I can say is to trust me on this."

It calmed him down somewhat, hearing that. Erwin never apologized for his decisions; claimed arrogance and audacity, yes, but never apologized for them. The fact he was doing so now showed Levi that Erwin did understand the seriousness of the situation. Perhaps he would tread more lightly this time around, learn the value of dragging one's feet.

"Tch, to join the Scouts is to play a risky game. All of us here were dumb enough to trust the Commander of the Survey Corps. with our lives the moment we decided to stand our ground on the day of recruitment. We're soldiers: hell or high water, we'll follow any shitty command you give us. Whether our sacrifices will have any meaning is your burden to bear," Levi said. When his superior hummed, nodding in agreement, he continued, "All that aside, now that you mention it, it's not Astrid that's the biggest concern. It's these guys that offed your old man."

Turning his sharp gaze to him, Erwin eyed him discerningly, "How so?"

"Ever since you told me of them, I've been doing some investigating on the side. Don't look at me like that, Erwin! You've been doing it too, don't deny it. Anyway, there have been a few cases of random deaths and disappearances that I found weird. All of them were people of notable intellect with a degree of scientific expertise, on the way to making groundbreaking discoveries. When I dug a little deeper, it was easy to find the discrepancies regarding the causes of death and the circumstances surrounding them. Basically, cover-ups, each and every single one of them."

"Then I imagine you've come to the same conclusion as I; they know more about the outside world than they let on, and are willing to use force to keep us ignorant," Erwin said.

"Yeah. The problem is, with how easily they manage these cover-ups and get away with them, there's no doubt these people are acting with the government's approval. The royals are in charge of all our nation's resources, and they will give these official mercs of theirs as much as they need to murder Astrid and Stormfly. And if her tribe finds about this, then we're in really deep shit," the Captain ground out bitterly. "Even if she herself isn't a threat, her being here _is_."

"You're right, but the situation isn't as bleak as you make it out to be. Who knows, they might just let her live." A small smile graced the blonde soldier's face.

Levi stared at him disbelievingly, pretty certain he heard right, but not quite able to get his head around it. He settled for scoffing, he knew better than to try and figure out what he was concocting behind those big eyebrows of his. Still, he was well aware that the man could think a few steps ahead of most people. He decided to humor his comrade.

"Fine, I'll play along. Let's say they don't try to kill her, the Survey Corps will still suffer some backlash. We're not exactly chummy with the civilians, and the nobles especially seem to have a bone to pick with us. It's bad enough they think we're inviting the Titans in with our extramural expeditions, if we do actually bring in something they were trying to hide from the populace, the king might very well be convinced to disband us," the shorter man concluded.

"Not if she intends to join the Scouts, they won't."

Levi almost gritted his teeth, damn Erwin, him and his gambling. "Again, the little Viking princess needs to be alive for that, and I don't see these official mercs letting that go. Better to destroy all the evidence is the way they'll think."

Erwin smirked in amusement, which annoyed the Special Operations Captain further, "First of all, Levi, she's significantly bigger than you." Now he just wanted to kick him in the dick. "Second, I believe I can convince the nobles to let her be. It's simple, really. As you said, if she dies, we'll have the dragon-riding Berkians on our tail. If we present this argument on the trial, twist the facts a bit by adding that their Viking allies might join the hunt too, the nobles will get the message, and they might back off."

"And what makes you think they will?" Levi asked, intrigued.

"The cover-ups you mentioned, all of their attempts to keep us ignorant, they're all done due to the Royal Government's misguided attempts to keep the people behind the Walls safe. Why else would they send a fifth of the population to die at the hands of the Titans?"

Misguided. What a joke, a really bad one at that. It was foolish to call any attempt to achieve a goal as righteous, since there wasn't a set of rules and principals that were universally accepted as righteous. What was right in the eyes of one was wrong in the eyes of another. Until the human population was reduced to one or less, it would always be like that. Honestly, Levi was a bit disappointed with the Commander's viewpoint.

Nonetheless, he wouldn't be able to change Erwin's mind, that he knew. Besides, as he had said, he was a soldier, and he would follow his superior officer's command regardless of the consequences.

He sighed in resignation, "Alright. I trust you, sir, but you better use that big head of yours to cook up a really good plan to save all our assess."

* * *

Astrid felt her lips twitch upward momentarily, in both amusement and slight incredulity. She had to give it to Hange, the woman had some brass balls, to so brazenly have shut up the glowering man who stood over a head taller than her. Then again, saying Hange was a _tad_ overenthusiastic would be putting it mildly. It really shouldn't have had come as a surprise.

Even as they sat in his office, him and Hange against her alone if it came to blows, the drill instructor remained distinctly wary. His mind probably set on the dragon hiding in the woods nearby. Astrid didn't really blame him; one didn't just lean back and lackadaisically scratch their belly in the presence of a predator. Still, she didn't think negotiations would go over well if the man reached for a... what did they call it? A pistol, that's right, or a sword at every twitch of Stormfly's muscles. Sending her away was the best course of action.

The way Hange cringed at the not-so-subtle threat the heiress had used made her feel a momentary twinge of guilt at the small swell of pride it caused; she wanted to make friends with these people, not make them cooperate via fear of punishment. Even so, trust was lacking from both sides, so the dragon rider had to make due with what she had.

Baby steps, she told herself.

"So, what you're saying is... that you came from outside the boundaries of the Walls?" Keith Shadis asked slowly, eyes both guarded and so very hopeful.

"Yes."

"And you're saying that there are several tribes of your people, of humans, out there?"

"Uh-huh."

"On top of that, you have voyagers who have been to other lands and met _other_ people, right?"

"Correc-"

"Alright, alright! That's enough!" Hange suddenly exclaimed exasperatingly, scowling at both of them. "Me, Erwin and Levi have already grilled her about this. She's answered our questions and given us evidence, the biggest of which is the fire-breathing piece of art cuddling up in the woods. We're very much convinced she's telling the truth."

She chuckled as the Commandant glared at the scientist, "Damn it, Hange! If what she's said is true, then this is the biggest discovery since the Walls' foundation. Forgive me for being healthily skeptical!"

"OK, I get the picture! Geez! Anyway, she'll be staying here till the tribunal, where they'll decide what to do with her. It's best you dress her up as a trainee. We've already come up with a story to tell the ones out of the loop to avoid suspicion," the brunette added.

Keith turned his gaze to her, looking her up and down like a creeper. She kept her neutral expression, though she internally insisted that he _cut it out_ , before he sighed, "Fine then. I don't think any of the girls' uniforms will fit you. You're taller than almost all the girls here, and honestly, more mannish than half the boys. I'll give you one of the men's uniforms."

Astrid just smirked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

* * *

 **Astrid Hofferson**

 **Age:** 25

 **Height:**

181 cm/5'11.5" (25)

173 cm/5'8" (15/How To Train Your Dragon)

 **Weight:**

77 kg/170 lbs (25)

69 kg/152 lbs (15)

 **Stats:**

Swordsmanship: 9/10

Axemanship: 11/10

Knives: 10/10

Bow and Arrow: 8+/10

Hammer: 8+/10

Polearms: 8/10

Hand-to-Hand Combat: 10/10

Strength: 9/10

Speed: 10/10

Stamina and Durability: 10/10

Agility: 11/10

Reflexes: 11/10

Wits and Intelligence: 9/10

Teamwork: 8/10

 **Dragons:**

Dragon Training: 9+/10

Riding: 11/10

Combat (with Stormfly): 10/10


	4. Chapter 4

**I own neither HTTYD or Shingeki No Kyojin.**

* * *

Though the corner of the table was occupied by only three people with plenty of space left between them and the rest of the trainees, the thick tension almost made it seem crowded to Armin. It was often like this when his best friend was in one of his moods. None of them spoke as Mikasa and he ate their breakfast slowly, and Eren just stared ahead intensely, breakfast-less as he was due to the punishment placed on him by the commandant along with Jean.

He could see from his spot that the other troublemaker was faring similarly, though the diplomatic Marco Bott - as opposed to the introverted trio - was much better at getting his best friend distracted from his hunger. In comparison to the three of them, they at least exuded a minimal semblance of normalcy.

They must look like a sad, awkward bunch.

He was sort of used to it. Not like it was a rare occurrence. Eren had been like that since the first time the blonde had met him; quick to anger, slow to cool down. He honestly doubted it would change any time soon, if ever.

One could always hope, though.

A growling sound broke the silence with all the force of a sledgehammer striking against hot iron, causing the two enjoying their morning meal to cast their gaze on the somewhat sheepish, green-eyed teen, the downward tug of his still present, but accompanied with a small blush that negated its effect. Frankly, it was an amusing sight, and a small grin graced Armin's visage.

Mikasa, on the other hand, merely continued to give him a blank stare, unimpressed. "This wouldn't be happening if you hadn't picked a fight with Jean."

" _He_ picked a fight with _me_! You were there!" Eren growled irritably.

Not untrue. Jean was the one who usually instigated their little spats. Eren was normally too busy with his training and studies to give him any notice otherwise, not that it made the results any different.

"Then don't answer him in kind," the black-haired girl lectured. "Just ignore him. You'll make way more enemies than you need if you always lose your temper at the slightest provocation."

Her adoptive brother rolled his eyes. "Horseface's just an asshole, not an enemy. And I'm not some weakling who backs down from a challenge or runs away."

Armin could see plenty of flaws in that perspective, as could Mikasa if her resigned sigh was any indication. The young intellectual didn't know if that martyrdom mentality of his would aid or hinder him in the Survey Corps. The infamous regiment certainly demanded a significant promptitude for life-risking in service of a greater cause.

Still, that temper of his offered plenty of insight on his ability to control his impulses, and if a soldier of reconnaissance needed anything to survive in the world out there, it was discipline.

"Throwing stones at every dog that barks doesn't make you any more of a man, Eren. If anything, it makes you look like a child," Mikasa said, her tone almost reminiscent of a stern mother. "Imagine how well that would go over with the Survey Corps."

"Thank God for the Scouts' unconditional admission then. Let _me_ worry about that instead of you. You're _not_ my mother," the brunet grumbled in response, tired annoyance flashing in his eyes. This had been far from the first time his lack of restraint had been brought up, and Armin knew it wouldn't be the last.

The blank mask slipped a bit, concern becoming visible in her expression. "But I _am_ your family, so I'm allowed to worry."

Eren was caught flat-footed for a moment before looking away with a light exhale from his nose. His best friend, however, could see his expression softening, obviously affected by her words. No matter how much he might moan about Mikasa's nagging, a part of Armin believed the only reason he wasn't reciprocating was due to her own superior skills and his strict focus on his own improvement.

After all, that earlier comment about "letting _him_ worry" had merely been another way of him saying he wanted her to steer clear of the danger of Titans that Eren had dedicated himself to abolishing.

The blond decided to chime in, "And besides, weren't you the one who told Jean that soldiers shouldn't give in to their feelings almost half a year ago? A _real man_ doesn't go back on his words. Right, Eren?"

A frown of betrayal was sent his way, one that clearly said 'not you too!'. A teasing, slightly apologetic smile was his only answer. He wasn't about to let his friend go off that easy.

"Ah, crap. As if one of you wasn't bad enough." Eren looked between them, thoughtful, before finally sighing in resignation and turning to Mikasa. "I'll work on it, okay?" he grunted.

She responded with a barely noticeable upturn of her lips and a nod. The two dug back into their breakfast, and while there was no conversation going on, the earlier tension was mostly gone. If none of them felt a need to discuss anything, which was neither common nor rare, then they had no issue letting the silence do all the talking.

The door being violently wrenched open put a swift end to that piece. There, at the entrance, stood their main training instructor Keith Shadis, a look of scowling vigor that the likes of Eren and Jean could only achieve in their dreams. Even Armin could almost trick himself into believing that the man had been born with it.

"Attention, cadets!" he shouted, causing all the trainees to get up on their feet with their fists over their hearts. "Gather at the three-dimensional aptitude gear! If you haven't yet finished stuffing your faces, too fucking bad! Sometimes you'll be called forth for duty at the most unexpected of times, so learn to get your meals in ASAP!"

In tandem with their training, the trainees filed out of the cafeteria in an orderly fashion. Nevertheless, confused muttering filled the air, the up-and-coming soldiers no doubt wondering about the reason for the short trip. They hadn't been at the aptitude gear site for over nine months, not since the 106th Cadet Corps had done their test.

Whatever the reason, it must've been important if all of them were to convene at a part of the training grounds rarely used more than once in their time as trainees. When they got there, however, it was to the sight of the commandant surrounded not only by the assistant instructors but also by one vaguely familiar face, and one totally unfamiliar one.

Both were young women, one of them who happened to be Section Commander Hange Zoe of the Scout Regiment. 51 kills total, 34 of which were solo kills and 17 assists.

Last he heard, the Scouts had gone on the 55th Expedition several days ago, which meant either she had opted to stay behind this time, or the expedition had been cut short by heavy losses or another unfortunate event. Perhaps she was here to advertise her division's cause in hope of amassing some future recruits. Regardless, Eren would be eager for her presence.

As for the other...

If he were to go by first impressions, Armin would describe her as an older, female version of himself. Straight, blonde hair in a braid with striking blue eyes, she was what Connie would call a 'hot babe'. An appropriate term, since the woman, who appeared to be in her early-to-mid twenties, was really beautiful, maybe even more than Krista.

She stood about half a head shorter than Commandant Shadis, which was to say she was one of the tallest women he had ever laid his eyes on. More importantly, he was pretty sure that was a men's jacket she was wearing. He could understand the need for it, though, considering the fact she was the most broad-shouldered woman he'd ever seen.

Outside the eyes and hair, that was where their similarities ended, for he honestly had doubts about his physique ever reaching the same level of muscularity and fitness as her, visible even through the uniform.

And he was a _guy._

He felt some of the insecurities he'd been trying to bury bubble back up to the surface. Glancing away from her, he shifted self-consciously; like if it wasn't bad enough the only physical skill he had an average proficiency for was ODM maneuvrability.

"We have a new addition to this shitpile of a training corps! Welcome the new recruit with open arms, ladies and gentlemen!"

Keith nodded to her, the newcomer taking it as a signal to step forward and do the official military salute. "My name is Astrid Hofferson. Pleased to meet you all."

That was odd. No place of origin? It was near-mandatory practice to state one's hometown after introducing themselves. Shadis, however, didn't bother to correct her, looking entirely nonplussed. It was possible she was an amnesiac who the higher-ups had decided to assign for training instead of letting her be just another mouth to feed, Armin mused.

Although, the firm confidence she spoke with, the composure she exuded, and the complete absence of anxiety in the face of so many people were all traits suggestive of an experienced soldier.

"She is the _only_ survivor from a mountain village southwest of Wall Maria. The landscape managed to suppress the advance of the Titans for a few years, but her village was attacked about two months ago. Miss Hofferson was found by the Survey Corps on the 54th Expedition, and the brass has decided to put her to work here. Hailing from a long lineage of warriors, she's got plenty of stuff to teach you impuissant maggots. _Maybe_ we can make soldiers out of you shitheads yet!" the commandant yelled.

So she hadn't lost her memory or anything, but that didn't explain why the instructor would be the one to reveal all that. This Astrid had already proved she could speak for herself in front of a crowd. His intervention could even be seen as offensive, but the blonde woman merely kept staring at the gathered cadets with a calculating gleam.

Thus far, this whole situation had been rather fishy and weird in Armin's opinion.

"I'll be helping Commandant Shadis in improving your physical fitness, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and survival skills. However, I myself am not going to serve as an official assistant instructor, but joining you as a fellow trainee like yourselves," Astrid explained.

A most unusual arrangement. The others were obviously confused too, having realized the same thing.

"This is only officially, maggots! As far as I'm concerned, if she asks you to scrape the horseshit off her boots, you get down on the ground and do it!" Keith ordered with a withering glare, most of the trainees nodding fearfully in compliance. "Now, like all the other recruits, she'll be doing the three-dimensional aptitude test. The result won't have any influence on her staying here, but if she passes, she'll be undertaking the ODM training alongside her teaching duties."

With that, they took the short walk to the gear where Astrid strapped herself to the cables. Armin sincerely hoped she wouldn't flop like Eren initially did, defective belt or no. It would _not_ set off her relationship with her fellow cadets to a good start. With her holding a level of authority over them, and yet simultaneously holding the same rank, not to mention her late admission, he could already foresee some animosity from the more petty trainees. If she failed, it'd be adding oil to the fire.

However, when she was raised off the ground, all his worry swiftly evaporated to be replaced by awe, an emotion emulated by the rest if the muttering was any clue. She remained perfectly balanced, unbothered by the new position of hanging in the air. Hell, she almost looked downright _bored._

She began moving her limbs, probably trying to test the gear out. His awe only grew when he saw what the performance she was putting on.

"Wow. She's incredible," Connie right next to them said, wide-eyed and impressed. He couldn't blame the guy, though. "She's doing as good as you did, Mikasa."

"No," was Mikasa's prompt answer. Her eyes were narrowed, not in suspicion or envy, but more scrutinizing than anything. The blond had no doubt she came to the same conclusion he did. "She's better."

A perplexed frown graced his the bald boy's face. "What do you mean? How?"

Armin chose to provide the answer, "She's moving."

"Moving?" Sasha asked, standing next to her best friend and appearing equally as confused.

"Yeah, and keeping her balance _perfect_ all throughout," Eren supplied. "It's not much, but you should know how easy it is to lose your equilibrium in that gear. Even the tiniest wrong movement can send you reeling, but whenever Astrid shifts one part of her body, it's like she knows exactly how to shift another to keep herself upright. And she looks totally relaxed while doing it."

"Right." Mikasa nodded in agreement, her gaze still on the newcomer. "I got a perfect score by staying in a single position, no fancy maneuvers. I wouldn't have been able to keep myself balanced if I were to have moved every second like she's doing right now."

"So... she's like a prodigy?" Connie asked.

"Possibly, though I don't think it's necessarily that. The commandant said she's from a family of warriors, which means she's had prior training. She wouldn't have been assigned to instruct us while being a trainee if she wasn't," Armin argued. "If the Titans had a hard time reaching her village, it's quite possible they were fairly isolated. We don't know what kind of training she went through, nor how useful it is with the ODMs, but it can be safely assumed that it wasn't the standard military sort."

But it was an assumption and nothing more. She was an enigma, no matter the information Keith Shadis provided them about her. Maybe it was just the skeptic in him, but he knew it to be true.

Nonetheless, if the bigwigs had given their thumbs-up for this arrangement, then there probably shouldn't be any reason to worry.

* * *

"Here you go, Miss Hofferson," Marcus Cleary, the lecture commandant said while handing her a small stack of papers.

"Thank you, Commandant Cleary. Seeing as I plan to join the rest of the recruits for lunch at the cafeteria, I don't have much time to review these," Astrid responded, taking the top document from the pile, which contained the 104th Southern Division's current ranking among trainees. The rest of the documents had a helpful, if rather superficial assessment of the cadets.

"Take it slow, and don't pressure yourself too much. My advice is to focus on the top 30 for the time being. You can become better acquainted with the rest as you go along," Marcus said, sitting down on the chair opposite of her, the stack and a table between them.

"I shouldn't give 30 trainees preferential treatment over the other 189, Commandant. Official or not, I've been given a task, and I don't think it would set a good impression if I were to fail in following through," she argued calmly but firmly.

Her chances of convincing the Supreme Commander Darius at the upcoming trial were going to be dictated by the smallest of details. As it stood, the predominant arguments for both allowing her to aid them and demanding she leave them be weren't tipping the scales in either direction. In comparison to Zackly and the Military Police, she imagined the Scouts had been quite easy to persuade, what with their unquenchable curiosity for the world beyond the Walls.

The Viking heir didn't believe the rest would as indulgent.

The lecturer chuckled with a lightly derisive undertone, though it didn't seem to be aimed at her specifically. "Our country's political structure should offer plenty of insight into our mindset, Miss Hofferson. People are not created equal, I'm afraid. Besides, we've been spawning soldiers for over a hundred years now. You're not really here to pick up our slack so much as you are to add the proverbial cherry on top. Give these men a better fighting chance, if you will, especially for those aiming to join the Recon Corps."

Honestly, as cynical an outlook it might've been, Astrid understood full well what the man meant. Not every warrior on Berk was equally skilled, and while the chief made active attempts not to play favorites with his people, the villagers had a tendency to put the strongest among them on a pedestal.

If his people decided to lavish attention and give favors to certain villagers from an individual standpoint, then there wasn't much Stoick or anyone could have done. On the plus side, it was good encouragement for self-development, and that attitude played no small part in the Vikings' great military might.

Speaking of the military, "Mr. Cleary, what branch were you a part of before becoming an instructor?"

"Ah. That takes me back." He sighed, adjusting his glasses. "I used to be an officer of the Military Police."

Erwin and Levi's warnings came to mind, though she didn't allow herself to have a physical reaction. Curious to hear about the most privileged branch of the military from an insider's point of view, she asked, "Really? If I may ask, what'd you think of your time there?"

He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "Well, the most accurate way to describe my experiences is to say I was a proud MP officer but considerably less proud to be called a part of the MPs if that means anything to you." Seeing her bewildered expression, he laughed. "Yeah, didn't think so. Sorry, I'll rephrase that.

At the start, I was just like most of the others, wanting to join the Police for the promise of an easy life. However, rookies take the brunt of the work, and you ain't got much choice but to obey if you wanna move up and have it easy. I was assigned to a more dilapidated part of Stohess District, and that's where things changed for me. There are simply times in your life when your moral compass doesn't just point you to do the right thing; it pulls you like a wild boar on a leash, regardless of the consequences. So, I cleaned up my act, and did my best to be a good police officer."

He ran a hand through his slicked-back grey hair. "Not that most of the others shared my opinion, but it didn't deter me. I did my job, I was dutiful, but a few men, no matter how righteous, can make a change in a system that's meant to be as rigid as the Walls themselves. After 5 years, I resigned and applied for a job here, and I've been teaching greenhorns for the last three decades."

"And you never looked back?" the heiress asked.

Marcus scoffed. "A person who claims to be just or 'just human' can't claim to have no regrets. I do question my decision sometimes, especially when I first left the MP, but I don't regret becoming an instructor. These kids are the future, and you need to think of the future as much as of the past and present."

Astrid felt her respect for the man grow, hearing his words of wisdom. It was obvious he'd gone through his own set of experiences and came out better for them. He allowed regrets to change him for the better without letting them hold him back, always thinking of the ways he could be most useful for the future generations of his people.

It was like looking at a mirror image of herself; a young, naive child who thought she knew everything, riddled with faults and mistakes of the past, whose remorse laid the foundation for the finer version of herself that would be built over the span of several years.

The Astrid Hofferson of today.

"Well, I shouldn't monopolize any more of your time. Like you said, you've got a job to do, and I oughtta get back to my own." The lecture commandant stood with a grunt and headed towards the door, giving a lazy wave over his shoulder. "Later, Miss Hofferson."

"Later, Commandant Cleary," she returned before looking down at the document in her hand.

1st: Mikasa Ackerman

2nd: Reiner Braun

3rd: Bertolt Hoover

4th: Annie Leonhart

5th: Eren Yeager

6th: Jean Kirstein

7th: Marco Bott

8th: Connie Springer

9th: Ymir

10th: Sasha Braus

These were the current top 10 of the 104th Cadet Corps. Next to the names were what she assumed to be highly accurate drawings of the aforementioned trainees. Acquiescing that Marcus had been right about taking things slow and concentrating on the best of the crop for the time being, she began memorizing the names and faces.

A few short hours later, the lunch bell rang through the camp. Electing to wait a little bit for all the cadets to file into the cafeteria, she slowly made her way to the building, where the sounds of chatting and feeding could be heard. As soon as she walked through the door, however, the noise stopped almost immediately.

Having expected such a reaction, she merely raised an eyebrow and walked forward. The muttering started up again, though she paid it little heed, never having really been a woman interested in gossip, or who even condoned it. That was how faulty rumors started after all, and she preferred to play no part in such an objectionable affair.

She did pick up a few comments of her exemplary performance this morning. Apparently, it was a pretty big deal.

Personally, Astrid didn't think so, though she might've been biased. Hanging from the cables hadn't been in any way difficult for her. Some fundamental differences aside, it was mostly the same as trying to remain balanced on a dragon, which she had an abundance of experience with. Whether it was sitting down or standing up, just like with the machine, it was mostly about the hips, legs, and center. From what she'd glimpsed of the ODM gear, the weight during the motion of flying and swinging was distributed along the lower body and torso, where the straps and belts had been wound.

She'd been practicing flight with Stormfly while standing for the last seven years, and it was safe to say she was something of an expert at it. A few heart-stopping incidents had happened, sure, but it had been a huge help on both their synchronized flight and combat capabilities. In comparison to the speed and sharp turns her dragon did, just hanging in place had been child's play.

Grabbing a tray, she put a loaf of bread on it, a plate of soup, and a few vegetables. Satisfied with her choice, she looked around the dining hall for a free seat. Several trainees still gave her stares that ranged between cautious, admiring, and envy, but most of them had gone back to engaging in conversation with their friends.

One of them suddenly stood up, a short boy with an appearance surprisingly similar to her own, and waved her over, pointing down to a vacant seat opposite of him. Nodding, she made her way to his table, where two others were also occupying it, both of whom she recognized.

Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Yeager.

Unlike the vibrant green of Hiccup's eyes, the boy's irises were a dull green, in strong contrast to the brown hair so dark it bordered on black. He had something of a pretty-boy face, though the frown and shifty look in his eyes belied it somewhat.

The slanted eyes and soft visage of the girl were features she'd seen before, in Hiccup's drawings from his travels. Asian, she recalled. Black hair and black eyes, Mikasa was as exotic among the people here as Hiccup must have been in the countries of China and Hizuru he'd talked about a lot in his tales. The last thing Astrid had expected was to find an Asian girl here.

The blond boy put a fist over his heart, his two friends copying him. "Armin Arlert from Shiganshina District, ma'am. Thank you for joining us."

Shiganshina? A survivor of the catastrophe from five years ago, then. "A pleasure," she answered before directing her gaze at the other two. Despite being aware of their identities, she knew it would be better to ask and keep up the appearance of non-preferential treatment. "And your friends?"

"Eren Yeager from Shiganshina, ma'am."

"Mikasa Ackerman from Shiganshina, ma'am."

So they were all witnesses to the horror of Titans. Their eyes said it all; they carried an intensity and strength about them that spoke of great hardship. While Mikasa's were composed in their vigor, Eren's were like a fire in the middle of the night, both soothing and dangerous.

Like hers' had been.

"At ease, you three. I'm not your superior, so there's no need for that," she insisted, sitting down next to the other female on the table and started digging in.

Silence permeated the area around the four of them, none quite willing to be the one to break the ice. Astrid felt a bit bad for interrupting their routine and making things awkward. These kids had more likely than not been friends from before the Titan attack, and such experiences tended to forge powerful bonds between people.

As an adult and informal superior, she felt that the responsibility of making the first move fell on her. It would be a sting to her pride to let a kid do it. "So, all three of you were there, huh?" When they gave her perplexed looks, she elaborated, "Five years ago."

Their reactions varied; Armin seemed surprised and then a bit downtrodden, there was a small tightening around Mikasa's eyes, and Eren's frown deepened, the fire burning even more intensely. For a moment, he looked unfocused and his hands shook, which the Viking discerned as signs of reliving a particularly traumatic memory.

He lost someone dear to him in that attack.

"Y-Yeah. We were. It was..." the shortest of the group replied, uncomfortable. He then gave her a sheepish smile. "Though, I guess I don't need to tell you that, Miss Hofferson. Your entire village and people were annihilated by the Titans not too long ago."

Keeping up the facade, she nodded. "The mountains and rock formations surrounding my village served as a natural defense against the Titans. We were safe for a while after the fall of Wall Maria, and our relatively isolated position had probably made the higher-ups forget all about us. But... a small tremor on a rainy day caused a mudslide that ravaged our village and killed over half the population."

Her listeners were wide-eyed, already engrossed in her lie. "But, I thought it was the Titans that killed the villagers," Armin questioned.

"You could say they finished the job." She scoffed, melancholy in her execution. "The mudslide opened up a way for them to enter the valley, and we were soon overwhelmed. A few of us barely escaped. The others didn't last long, but I didn't have the luxury of shedding tears. The only reason I survived is because I alone didn't attract much attention... and because the Scouts found me just in time. And, well, you know the rest."

An understanding seemed to pass between, the kids gracing her with a knowing look. There wasn't any pity, for it would only be offensive. Too bad the entire tale was one big, fat lie to conceal her real origins and purpose here.

Eren's grip on his spoon tightened, and he gritted his teeth in anger. "Another casualty of the Titans. I'm gonna kill all of them."

"Kill... all of them?" she asked, noticing the concerned glance Mikasa sent his way.

Smoldering, green irises cast their gaze upon her. "I'll lay them all to waste; every single one of them. They'll pay for what they've done. Humanity will be restored to its rightful place, and I'll be there every step of the way. It's why I'll be joining the Scouts after graduation."

"Oh, really?"

An arm was suddenly draped over Astrid's shoulder, Hange's grinning face visible in the periphery of her vision. "Well, then I'd be happy to inaugurate you myself. That fire in your says a thousand words. I _like it_!"

"Section Commander Hange!" Armin yelped, standing up in the blink of an eye, saluting the woman. The other two were quick to mimic his actions. The noise had caught the attention of some of the surrounding trainees, but a blank stare from the heiress was effective in convincing them to mind their own business.

So much for discipline.

"In the flesh!" Still beaming, she placed herself between Astrid and Mikasa. "I hope you don't mind me encroaching on your little pow-wow, but I just couldn't help but overhear your conversation and chime in. Plus," the scientist's smile turned teasing, "I didn't want to leave my friend here to fend for herself. Such a sensitive thing, Astrid is."

"We were just discussing our future prospects, Hange. No need to get worked up," the Viking replied with calm exasperation, pointing her spoon at the brunet teen. "You've got a recruit for your cause right here. Eren Yeager plans to join the Survey Corps."

"Oh, I heard." The teen turned a bit pale when Hange's eager if disturbing grin was pointed his way. "As there are no prerequisites for the admission into the regiment, aside from graduating, we'll be happy to have you, Eren, regardless of your ranking in the Cadet Corps. If I may ask, what _is_ your current rank?"

"Fifth," Astrid supplied. "I had a bit of time on my hands before lunch. Thought I'd use it productively." She smirked Armin's way when his eyes widened, no doubt realizing she'd already known their names. Smart kid.

The hand holding Eren's spoon was suddenly grabbed by two of Hange's, who didn't seem to mind the broth staining her hands and sleeves. "I see. Though I don't discriminate by rank, it's always a good thing to see talented recruits joining our woefully undermanned division. You'll be a great addition."

The male trainee smiled, both pride at the praise and unease at the brunette's attitude wafting off him. It was an amusing sight to the dragon rider, especially since the scout hadn't yet let go of the kid's hand.

"I'm joining the Scouts, too."

All of the table's occupants turned to Mikasa, the one who spoke. Knowing that Hange was going to freak at the next tidbit of information, Astrid nudged her lightly before pointing at the girl with a small smile.

"First."

Hange didn't disappoint, switching her grip to Mikasa's hands with the speed of a bullet. The female teen didn't even grimace at the sensation of the liquid staining her appendage and sleeve, her composure impressing Astrid.

The bespectacled woman opened her mouth before freezing. Just as the Viking was about to express her concern, she twisted to grab one of Eren's hands, the same one from a minute ago in fact, which he'd been waving in the air to shuck off the soup. Her grin almost maniacal now, she switched to gaze between the two of her unwilling participants of this oddball affair.

"How _wonderful_! We haven't had a top graduate join the Scouts in seven years. I can tell," Hange smiled at Astrid,"this is going to be a _great_ year!"

The blond adult huffed in amusement, the idea behind her friend's words clear as day. "Hange, we've got an audience here, ya know. If you keep up this display of yours, your crazy-ass ways are going to dampen the spirits of all the other potential recruits here. To them, you're the image of their future should they join the Scouting Regiment."

"Miss Hofferson, are you going to be a part of the Recon Corps, too?" Armin asked out of the blue.

She was quiet for a few short moments. "I'm not sure."

"What? What do you mean you're not sure?" Eren asked loudly, clearly shocked at the answer. "Titans killed your family, your friends. Don't you want to avenge their deaths?!"

"Part of me does," she lied through her teeth, her mind going a mile a minute to figure the best ways to respond. "But a part of me also wants to get as far away from them as possible. I don't want to see more people die."

"You will see people die whether or not you join the Survey Corps! At least, with the Scouts, you'll be able to fucking _do_ something about it!" he yelled, outrage shining in his eyes. "Everybody thought the Walls would protect us forever, but now, we all know that's just a load of crap. For all we know, the Colossal and the Armored Titan could appear tomorrow, or in a year. You showed us how good you are with the ODMS. We'll never beat them if the ones best suited for fighting them, like you, duck and hide like a bunch of _cowards_!"

"Eren! Calm down!" Armin implored his friend frantically, putting a hand on his shoulder. He turned to her, apologetic. "I'm so sorry about this, Miss Hofferson. He's just-"

"Armin, shut up!" Eren commanded, not taking his eyes off her.

The reaction had caught the blond boy by surprise, hurt flashing in his expression. "But Eren-"

"It's alright, Armin. I'd like to hear what he has to say," Astrid calmly said, unfazed by the brunet's outburst. Compared to some of the villagers on Berk, the strength he exuded was nothing. "He just needs to vent. He'll apologize to you later."

Eren's scowl faltered, uncertainty and regret mingling in with anger. Good. He at least realized his mistake and seemed willing to make amends. But, as she told Armin, that would be later. Ending her discussion with the green-eyed cadet here would only cause him to bottle up the rage and affect their relationship as trainees.

She watched him steadily, his anger simmering down slightly by the second, though still demanding answers. Astrid decided to oblige him. "Who was it that died by the Titans' hands that makes you hate them so much?"

He stiffened, dumbfounded by her question, and so did his friends. Mikasa looked ready to interject, but Eren responded before that through gritted teeth, "My mother."

The Viking heiress nodded, having figured that family was involved. With her having confessed her painful experience to them, fake as they were, he probably didn't feel all too self-conscious in revealing his own to her.

"Is revenge the only reason you're planning to join the Scouts?"

"No," was his swift rebuke. "Even before that, I decided that I would see everything the world has to offer. The Titans and the Walls, they're cages that rob us of our freedom. I was born into this world, and nothing will stop me from seeing what's out there."

"Freedom, huh?" she asked, taking a bite of her loaf. Just like Hiccup. However, she wondered if curiosity was really the main reason for his wanderlust like it'd been for the former heir. "A fine goal... but a goal that is your own. Does imposing your own beliefs and motives on others really make you any better than a cage yourself?"

She tilted her head at his outraged expression, unclear of her insinuations but hating them all the same.

"After all, aren't you trying to rob them of the freedom to make their own choices?"

Eren froze, his mouth gaping open, too stunned to argue. Armin seemed to be halfway there, while the Ackerman girl was giving her a scrutinizing once over along with Hange. Seeing how the male teen had a way with words once he got going, and his passion was all but unmistakable, Astrid imagined he had rarely ever been gotten the better off like this.

He grimaced, obviously brainstorming for a good counterargument. "We're on the brink of destruction, Miss Hofferson. We don't _have_ much of a choice."

Not true, but she'd vowed to avoid telling anyone not-in-the-know of that tidbit. However, from the ignorant perspective of everyone here, it was not a bad point. "Maybe, but it doesn't matter all that much when it comes to me. I haven't been near a Titan in two months; who knows how I'd react if I were to run into one now?" Not to mention the upcoming trial that would ultimately determine whether she'd be allowed to stay and help.

"I don't get it. What's that got to do with anything?" Eren asked dubiously, though rather subdued in comparison to earlier. Her argument must have struck a nerve with him, and he didn't know how to process it yet.

"I might keep my cool, or I might get so scared I shit my pants and take a hike with my tail between my legs. Perhaps revenge would overwhelm me, and I'd run amuck like a crazy, bloodthirsty bitch." She shrugged. "The point I'm trying to make is that in a scenario where discipline and cohesiveness with your comrades is your best survival tool, the soldier who runs off on his own, acting on impulse in the heat of the moment and putting not only himself but everybody else in grave danger... is nothing more than a liability."

Adopting a severe visage, she gave the teen a grave look. Perhaps more than anyone else, he needed to hear this. "The fields of blood out there are no place to let your emotions cloud your judgment or to think you know better than your superior officers. You follow orders and exercise the discipline to _not_ act on your own arbitrary whims. That's what a good soldier does."

Eren stared at her weirdly for a minute before leaning his head down, biting his lower lip. For an instant there, Astrid wondered if she'd broken the kid. His peers seemed to be of the same mind, moving forward to convey their worry.

However, he stood abruptly, surprising the other occupants. "I'm not hungry anymore," he exclaimed and grabbed his tray with the half-finished meal. As soon as he made his way to over to dispose of the objects, Mikasa and Armin followed him with a brief look in her direction, no real emotion present other than concern for their friend.

She didn't particularly care either way. It was most important that Eren contemplated her words of warning.

"Do you think that was necessary? To lecture him like that?" Hange asked, neither pleased nor displeased.

Astrid continued wolfing down the bread, replying only when the loaf was finally secured in her belly.

"It's just as you said, he's got a fire in his eyes. If he can't control it, it's gonna burn him and others to ashes."

* * *

 **Finally, the fifth chapter! Would you believe me if I said I wrote this chapter in the span of a day and a half? 7k words! I'm awfully proud of myself for it.**

 **For the more observant manga followers, I have a question, whose answer I hinted in this chapter.**

 **How long has Annie been training Eren in her hand-to-hand combat style? Good luck.**

 **In any case, one thing you oughtta know about the HTTYD characters is that their bodies will have more realistic proportions. For example, Astrid and Ruffnut don't have those skinny, cylindrical arms with no muscle tone as they do in the movies, and Fishlegs doesn't have super-short legs. In my mind, I personally imagine them being in the anime style of Attack on Titan, with black outlines and all.**

 **If you want an accurate depiction of Astrid's physique, then I'd say it's exactly the same as the character Matrona from the Seven Deadly Sins, or more accurately, her anime depiction in Episode 8, Season 2.**

 **By the way, Astrid is not the only HTTYD character with different physical features than in canon; specifically, their height and weight. Plus, I'm putting it so that Vikings naturally have denser muscle fibers and bones than other characters, in order to justify their great strength. By that virtue, they will have 5-6 kilograms added to their weight, more so if they're bigger or more heavily built characters like Stoic or Snotlout.**

 **For example, I put Astrid having 77 kg and 181 cm, but she has the musculature and physical build that would much sooner give her the weight of 71-72 kg.** **You can use that to more or less determine their appearances while being aided by the descriptions in the story.**

 **I'm sorry if it confuses you, but it's not anything overly important, so don't put too much stock in it. It's just something I do for fun.**

 **Keith Shadis **

**Age:** 43

 **Stats:**

ODM Maneuvrability: 9/10

ODM Combat: 9+/10

Swordsmanship: 7+/10

Rifles and Pistols: 8/10

Hand-to-Hand Combat: 7/10

Strength: 8/10

Speed: 6+/10

Stamina and Durability: 8+/10

Agility: 7/10

Reflexes: 8/10

Wits and Intelligence: 9/10

Teamwork: 7/10

 **Hange Zoe**

 **Age:** 27

 **Stats:**

ODM Maneuvrability: 9/10

ODM Combat: 8+/10

Swordsmanship: 7/10

Rifles and Pistols: 7/10

Hand-to-Hand Combat: 6+/10

Strength: 6/10

Speed: 7/10

Stamina and Durability: 7/10

Agility: 7/10

Reflexes: 8/10

Wits and Intelligence: 10/10

Teamwork: 7+/10

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:**

 **I might be deleting this story and reposting it. It wouldn't be a rewrite as the changes would be minimal, the most obvious being the order in which the events so far happened. The title will also be changed to something a bit catchier.**


	5. Chapter 5

Hey,

Just thought you'd like to know that the first chapter of The Stranger's re-release has just been posted. Not to worry, the other will be coming up soon.

MM995


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